1998 Hosta of the Year: ‘Fragrant Bouquet’
This hosta, said to perform well in much of the U.S., has heart-shaped
leaves that average eight inches long by six inches wide when fully
grown. The leaves are golden yellow when young, become apple green with
a creamy border. Its three-inch long, fragrant white flowers are borne
on three foot scapes in August. ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ plants
reach about 18 inches high by 36 inches wide.
Hostas of the Year awards are named by the American Hosta Growers Association.
The goals of the AHGA are to boost interest in hostas, to provide information
on hosta care and to help standardize hosta nomenclature.
Plant Information Online
This substantial horticultural database developed by he University
of Minnesota Libraries (in cooperation with the Minnesota Landscape
Arboretum) is accessible via the World Wide Web to subscribers only
($39.95 per year for individuals, $59.95 per year for institutions/firms).
There are listings of more than 1,000 North American nurseries (with
searching allowed by firm name, location and specialty) and thousands
of sources for particular plants (for example, more than 3,000 rhododendrons)
but the main section of the database is even more impressive: The Plant
Citations database catalogs color illustrations and information (published
after 1981, with ongoing updates) on more than 75,000 flowering plants.
This database is a continuation of previous plant illustrations lists,
namely Index Londinensis (1929-1931) and Flowering Plant Index
of Illustration and Information (1979, 1982); it includes all of
the entries - more than 150,000 - in the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s
FPI: Flowering Plant Index (1990-1997), as well as thousands
of new entries from 150 current periodicals. Beginning this year, ferns
are included in the database. The illustrations themselves are not in
the database, due to copyright restrictions. Individual entries provide
information on nomenclature, citation and parts of the plant illustrated.
The WWW address of Plant Information Online is as follows: http://plantinfo.umn.edu.
Woodchips – Termites
Termites seldom attack woodchips near a home’s foundation due
to the fact termites are light and heat sensitive. The insects tend
to avoid areas that are not damp nor dark.
To avoid any unnecessary termite problems, limit the depth of woodchips
to four (4) inches around a building’s foundation. Check foundations
several times a year for evidence of termite mud tunnels or activity.
English Ivy - Brick
English Ivy should not be allowed to grow on brick buildings as the
roots will eat away at the mortar, causing bricks to crumble and fall,
especially if the mortar has started to crumble.
As an alternative, Boston Ivy can be used if vines are removed from
the buildings each spring.
Early Blight &
Blossom End Rot
Tomatoes may show early blight and blossom-end rot. Early blight is
when the lower leaves show spotting, turn yellow and drop off. Spray
or dust with tomato fungicides. Blossom-end rot infections appear on
the bottom of the fruit when ripening. Mulching and watering is the
best control.
Extra Planting
Make another planting of cucumbers, summer squash and snap beans early
in the month. Seed the fall garden crops of beans, broccoli, cabbage,
spinach and turnips late in the month.
Splitting Heads
Cabbage is maturing and it will store in the garden for a week or two.
Head splitting can be reduced by using a spade to cut roots on two sides
of the plant. This reduces water uptake from rain or irrigation.
Mid-Summer 1998
Five Steps to Healthier
Grass in Shady Spots | Tree
Tips for Buyers of New Homes | Summer
Tree and Shrub Watering Care | Leaf
Scorch | Spraying Facts
for the Garden | Bug
Bites—Grubs | Lawn
Care Calendar | Cybergarden
Sites | Hort Shorts
| Hort Tips | Food
Handling: What to Do with Food During a Power Outage | In
the Kitchen: Friendship Cake | Food
Safety: How to Make A Friendship Cake Starter | Locally
Grown: At the Farmers' Market | Health
and Household Tips
Index
| Feedback
